WWE Reboot: Several Characters That Could Succeed If Rebooted – Urena’s Universe

A lot of great characters have come out of wrestling, but what about the characters that are perceived as not so great, classic characters that are considered wrestle crap? A lot of great wrestlers have been given terrible gimmicks that just didn’t connect with fans at the time.

I am not taking anything away from the performers who have given themselves to these horrendous characters, but I think with the right amount of tweaking and this new age of wrestling I think certain characters would work better now than they did years ago. I present to you ten characters/ gimmicks that I think could work now if done a tiny bit differently than its predecessors.

The Brooklyn Brawler – Steve Lombardi was perfect in the role of the Brooklyn Brawler, only his character was fodder for everyone else on the WWF roster. The name itself is pretty clever. People remember it and it describes what the character should have been: a no nonsense beat you until his heart gives out kind of wrestler. I would have given this gimmick to Tommy Dreamer. He was from New York, he would fight, and he had heart. Today people are looking for someone to get behind and a new Brooklyn Brawler would be perfect. I would do an angle where some new blood comes into the WWE and just wants to be seen on WWE Television.

He does enhancement talent matches and loses. Brooklyn Brawler takes him under his wing and though he lost a lot he still kept going. The new blood would use him as a manager and learn from someone who has been there for so long. Enter a group of mean no-nonsense heels . They take our Brawler and the new blood avenges his injuries, taking the Brooklyn Brawler name as a tribute. This would get some sympathy and it could take someone new and bring them into the fold. New York would be totally behind this and the Garden is a great place to gain fans.

The Ultimate Warrior – the Ultimate Warrior was not a failure, however his legacy has definitely been besmirched over the past few years. With the DVD, his online ramblings, and lack of wrestling appearances, the character has pretty much faded with the 80s. Sure there have been knock offs but to keep the character alive I would reach out to the Ultimate Warrior, try to smooth things out and use a youthful tag team or group to become the new followers of the Warrior.

With Warrior as their manager or someone they follow in practice, we could have a very popular new power and paint team. Who doesn’t want to see the paint come back, who doesn’t want to hear the strum of guitars as wrestlers run to the ring in Warrior like fashion, and who wouldn’t want to see a tag team with a theme? A lot of people reading this might be shaking their heads instead of the ropes at this notion but I think it could appeal to this PG friendly WWE. I say why not give a shot at a duo of destrucity!

Tatanka – Tatanka had a great run in WWF and he even had a second chance in WWE. However, my take on Tatanka for this new WWE would be a lot scarier and darker than the original Tatanka.

For those who watch westerns, some Native Americans portrayed in those films could be scary, especially with piercings, tattoos, and War paint. I would even bring a bit of mysticism into his character, being a member of Tatanka’s tribe wanting revenge on the faces for his land being taken. He could just be a scary big dude with Native American roots who wants to fulfill his (manifest) destiny. I would watch out for John Cena’s scalp.

Doink the Clown – Clowns are scary and Matt Borne played the evil clown to perfection, but then they turned him into a goofy character. I would bring back Doink to play mind games. First it would be a heel not winning enough. Then he sees Doink matches and he becomes obsessed with the clown. He starts dressing like him to get in the head of wrestlers who would take it as a joke. I know it’s been done but do something like the Joker in The Dark Knight. A maniacal clown using the get up of a clown to become a distraction for his opponents. I would modify the attire and make it a lot darker than it was.

Double J – The Double J character was a country singer who faked singing, like a new age version of the Honky Tonk Man. Needless to say the wrestler outshined the character and it transformed into Jeff Jarrett becoming himself for the attitude era. In 2011 I would make the Double J country singer character into a girl. Taylor swift is popular as can be right now and the WWE should capitalize on that popularity by bringing a cute country singing baby face into the promotion. She would capture the hearts of the fans and use her trusty guitar when needed. A big plus if she can sing, which I’m sure Johnny Ace could go through a swimsuit catalog and find someone who can do both. I think it could be the squeaky clean image the WWE can have for its divas with a character who could take the country music demographic.

The Blue Blazer – Now I know this is a long shot as WWE doesn’t want to go anywhere near Owen Hart due to lawsuits and the like but my version of the Blue Blazer would be a nice tribute to the late great Owen Hart. The character could be male or female but I would prefer it to be a girl. I have never seen a female luchador in the WWE and the WWE could sell masks and have people in love with a female luchador. It could be different and unique and it provides a mixed tag partner for Rey Mysterio or Sin Cara against some heels. People would want to see what’s under the mask but the mask would be a part of her appeal getting something different in the WWE product when it comes to the divas.

The Oddities – To go along with Doink I would make a dark carnival of wrestlers who just look like a circus act. Only this time around I would make it a stable of freaks that are lethal in the ring and are all very bizarre characters. I would make this one more like a circus and have more spectacle than anything. I think they could both be friendly or scary if done correctly. Kids need characters in this PG era why not look to the circus!

Los Conquistadores – This glorified enhancement talent tag team is used as fodder but the name could be given to two Hispanic wrestlers who want to conquer the tag team scene for the gold. I would have a team of brothers: one older one younger just looking for a spot on the WWE roster. The Conquistadors would be Hispanic and could connect with that audience. They would be hard workers who look out for each other. Really do some character development so when they win the titles it gets them a huge reaction. They could even win the titles in Mexico or wherever they “hail” from. They could be a wacky Hispanic team who gets into hijinx and could kick your ass if needed. I know it may be stereotypical but I think it could be kid friendly and marketable.

The Undertaker – Now the Undertaker still exists in the realm of WWE but he’s getting to the point where he appears once or twice a year. Why not pass the torch literally to the spawn of the phenom. This wrestler could be handpicked by the Undertaker and the son of the Undertaker can show up and use the effects and the light and the smoke and could make a career for someone new. The Undertaker character can stay alive and there are so many feuds and variations you could do with the character to keep it alive. The time is now for the Undertaker to pass his legacy down to someone who could keep it lasting longer.

Eric is the owner and editor-in-chief of the Camel Clutch Blog. Eric has worked in the pro wrestling industry since 1995 as a ring announcer in ECW and a commentator/host on television, PPV, and home video. Eric also hosted Pro Wrestling Radio on terrestrial radio from 1998-2009. Check out some of Eric's work on his IMDB bio and Wikipedia. Eric has an M.B.A. from Temple University's Fox School of Business.

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